How can I change models from 30 LEDs/30 ICs to 30 LEDs/10 ICs?

[danj]

I am trying some different combinations on my arches and one of two megatrees and I am not getting the expected results.   For example, I changed all six of my arches from "number of nodes per arch: 60" and "number of lights per node: 1" to  "number of nodes per arch: 20" and "number of lights per node: 3", as I thought that would set the arches as 30 LED/m with 10 ICs/m (I am using strips with 30 LEDs/m).   However, when I set the models to these parameters, the arch models have some "straight line" pixels showing in layout and in the sequencer to the right of the arches, horizontally oriented.    Am I totally missing this conceptually?   My arches are actually 30 LEDs/m with 30 ICs/m.   One of my megatrees will have 30 LEDs/m with 10 ICs/m and I am concerned that the "density" difference will be noticeable, so I was thinking about setting up everything as if all are 30 LEDs/m with 10 ICs/m.   Thanks.

Edit--this might not even be a valid thought process whatsoever for strips that are 30 LEDs/m with 30 ICs/m....

[Gilrock]

You keep putting the inch symbol behind your numbers.  Nothing is done in inches.  It's all number of lights.  If you have a typical 5m strip with 30 leds/m with 3 leds per IC then its 50 addressable pixel nodes.  So just call it 50 nodes per arch 1 light per node.  If you want to make it 3 lights per node that will just change how many pixels we draw in the preview for each node so nothing functionally changes.

[danj]

I was trying to use quotes...  Bad idea.   Thanks Gil.   I understand the 150LEDs/5m--50 ICs/5m setup.   What I was wondering is--can I setup my 150 LEDs/m--150 ICs/m as 150LEDs/50ICs in xlights and have all the strips functioning similarly with each 3 pixels being controlled by 1 IC?  After thinking about it some more, my E682 can address the RGBs basically anyway I want it to address them.

[scuba]

Just to make it clear to others using SanDevices: E68x

Using the E68x setup is the best way to make these types of changes.  In the E68x setup, you tell the controller the number of pixels or addresses each string in a cluster will have.  By varying the number of pixels in a string AND the group Number (Grp) you can light up each pixel (or pixels) that a IC controls (Grp=1) or you can group them to light up 2 or more IC controlled pixels (Grp=2,3,4,5...)!  This can be used for several reasons:

• You can create the effect danj is trying to achieve and others.
  
  
• I have small features that have RGB  LEDs.  I don't need to control each pixel, so I group them as one address.  These could be mini-trees that you want to light in all the colors available with RGB.  This saves on the total number of controllers I need and make the Xlights setup and model descriptions easy.

• you can 'conserve' addresses to deal with problems that come up: for example, I've got a Mega Tree that uses strips that are 60 pixels/M each  4M long.  The tree consists of 10 strips.  2400 pixels!!  Last year I had a controller fail (my fault); to keep the show going until parts arrived, I re-confiured a controller to group 2 pixels as one address in that Mega tree.  I was able to fit this configuration into the other controllers, and keep the show going with little or no noticeable effect.

So for example, the 30 pixels/M 10 IC 'effect' you were looking for:  30/M * 3M / 3 (pixels in a group) = 30 Pixels; Pixels should be set to 30 (NOT 90); Groups (Grp) should be set to 3.  The calculated String Length number (Str Len) will the actual pixels on the string (90). 

Remember:  All the strings in that cluster will be set to the number of Pixels AND group number.  Also the Xlights Model will be 30 pixels in length. 

[danj]

Thanks Scuba.   This is what I am trying to do.

[Gilrock]

Yeah I'm totally confused as to what your physical strings actually do.  Can you individually control all 150 or only 50?  Were you saying you can control all 150 but only want to control them as if they were 50?  If so Scuba is right its best to do that in the controller.  There's really no reason to do it in software because you need to model it in software to match how the strings will physically work.  By changing those settings in the controller you are changing how they physically work.  Without that you would always need to send data for all 150.

[danj]

Yep, I can control all 150 but I want to see what it looks like to only control 50...  Sorry for the confusion...  Thanks so much for the inputs.   I'll keep my xlights modeling "as is" then.   Wasn't sure if I should start at software or hardware.